Tryon: Touring Pinellas' Safe Harbor

As I rode to Pinellas Safe Harbor in the back of a car driven by Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight, with State Attorney Ed Brodsky riding shotgun, I wondered how things might play out.

Fortunately, no handcuffs were zipped around my wrists and it was a round trip, so I wasn't left behind at Safe Harbor -- a clean, secure yet spartan facility for homeless people in Pinellas County.

Knight, Brodsky and I were in a group that toured the concrete block building, with its bare slab floors, Wednesday. (Other local officials, journalists and interested citizens have toured as well.)

The reason for the visit: Pinellas Safe Harbor, and its approach to reducing homelessness, might become a model for Sarasota.

For the moment, the emphasis is on "might." No decision has been made, by any public board or private organization, to build and operate a new homeless shelter.

But a shelter similar to Pinellas Safe Harbor is likely to be recommended by Robert Marbut, a consultant hired by Sarasota city and county governments.

Marbut's task, according to his contract, is to "develop a strategic action plan to improve the efficiency and organization of homeless-services providers, including recommending new facilities and programs if needed..."

So, he is examining homelessness, in its various forms, locally.

Marbut hopes to have a draft of his plan available for review within 90 days. But, as the Herald-Tribune reported, he has already offered suggestions. For instance, he proposes expanding existing, private-sector services for families. Marbut has also stated that he believes north Sarasota needs a new facility that will accept, shelter, stabilize and counsel homeless men and women who don't qualify for existing facilities that attach conditions -- such as sobriety -- to entrance and assistance.

There are two models for operating shelters of this kind. One type is operated by a social-services organization; the other is run by a law enforcement agency.

Marbut has experience with both types: In San Antonio, the Haven for Hope is run by a social-services consortium he helped form; Safe Harbor is operated by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, which Marbut assisted.

Both types have advantages, Marbut says, but the law enforcement model offers better security and is usually sustainable financially -- although funding is always an issue.

Safe Harbor opened in January 2011, in response to a rise in homelessness and overcrowding in the jail. As the cities in Pinellas passed and enforced ordinances to stop panhandling and camping in public parks -- which Sarasota has also done -- the number of homeless people in jail soared.

Safe Harbor is housed in a former transportation facility, adjacent to the jail. Lt. Sean McGillen, a former corrections officer in Pinellas, launched the project and remains in charge.

McGillen is thoughtful and respectful of visitors and the 400 or so people who call Safe Harbor their temporary home. His job requires the toughness of a cop, the compassion of a social-service provider, the flexibility of an entrepreneur and the collaborative skills of a fine administrator.

Safe Harbor has a $1.6 million annual budget, including $250,000 from the cities, that pays for utilities and staffing.

Having housing and services under the same roof is efficient and offers this benefit: fewer homeless people walking the streets from one agency to another.

Grants fund the transportation to Safe Harbor if people are taken into custody by police for non-violent offenses. They are given a choice: Go to jail, or go to Safe Harbor, with the possibility of having the charges dropped for good behavior and if conditions established by caseworkers are met.

Since Safe Haven is operated by the Pinellas sheriff, the obvious question is: If a facility were created in Sarasota, would Sheriff Tom Knight be willing to run it?

Knight is, understandably, noncommittal -- though he says he wants to "do the right thing."

In Pinellas, the sheriff could act unilaterally: The building is in the unincorporated area and owned by the county; in Sarasota, a shelter would likely be in the city.

In fairness, Knight should be asked, by the city and county commissions, whether he would consider the duty -- if both commissions eventually agree that a shelter, operated by law enforcement, is warranted and worth funding.

Final decisions aren't immediately necessary; Marbut hasn't even submitted his report. But since next year's budgets are being finalized, it makes sense to start conceptual discussions about potential funding sources and frameworks for cooperation between the city and county, including the police and Sheriff's Office. After all, if Marbut recommends a new shelter, city and county commissioners can't say it's a surprise.